Sian Clifford
“February for me will be a continued focus on maintaining balance during a really exciting but exceptionally busy time. A lot of my work is going on behind the scenes for now, but something that I’m really thrilled to be sharing this month is GOOD GRIEF, a play/ film hybrid - a Plilm! If you will - a totally new concept, born entirely of the unprecedented times we are living through. Written by Lorien Haynes, the play - a comedy about grief - absolutely knocked me sideways when I read it. We rehearsed on Zoom for two weeks and then thrillingly/ terrifyingly filmed it all in just two days. It’s a story full of joy and light and love and humour and irreverence, with all the immediacy of live performance but the intimacy of film. It rapturously joins the chorus of finding new ways to support the theatre industry during this challenging time, I'm so happy to be a part of it.”
Sian Clifford, Actress
Food & Drink: Valentine’s Day
Aah February, the month of looove. Normally the thought of heading out for a romantic meal for two across the capital either fills you with dread and a lot of cringe or turns your eyes into hearts, as you anticipate holding your loved ones hand over the table...and possibly playing some footsie under the table. Well as we will all be indulging in the “at home” experience this year we had to share some great food & drink ideas with you all so you can avoid reheating last night’s chicken nuggets.
First up we have Home-X, a hub for finding and ordering luxury dishes right to your doorstep. The meals are intended to be heated at home so you get restaurant quality but can fool yourself (or your loved one) into thinking you cooked...sort of. The Cheese Club, Home by Nico, Chateau X, Green Haus and more are all on offer here. Prices for two start at £55 including a tipple and they can deliver nationwide.
More restaurants are offering a similar set up directly including Mortimer House Kitchen, Hame by Adam Handling and Quo Vadis to name a few.
With the gastronomy sorted, let's move onto beverages because no romantic meal is complete without a little juice to whet the appetite, right? There is a cocktail company called NIO that offer a “build a box” cocktail delivery service so you can log on and create a bespoke selection of drinks from 17 different options. The package fits through your letterbox too so you don't need to worry about it being snatched from your doorstep by a jealous neighbour.
For the vino connoisseurs out there Laithwaite’s offer a home wine tasting experience so your date night can turn into “dinner AND a show”. The set includes six wines, glasses, a corkscrew, tutorial video and tasting notes so everything you will need to get going and all for £80.
‘Beer not wine and you’ll feel fine’ or ‘Here’s the gin, let the fun begin’? Don't worry, we got you covered too. Friday Night Gin Club are inviting us all to join them for a live beer and gin party on Friday 12th February which will be a tasting experience led by a panel of experts and featuring four craft gins or beers from £16. Delightful!
Reading: New Book Releases this Month
We’re still at home a lot and having to keep ourselves entertained so here’s our top four new book release recommendations for the month: We kick off with ‘Open Water’ by Caleb Azumah Nelson, described as “a beautiful and powerful novel about the true and sometimes painful depths of love”. Open Water tells the story of two young black people who meet in a South East London pub. Both scholars and both creatives they are trying to make a difference and have their say in a bustling city that ‘celebrates and rejects them’ at the same time. They fall in love but is love enough to keep them together when they have so much trying to tear them apart? This is a debut novel from Nelson and is being hailed as one of the best new British releases of recent years.
Next up is some non-fiction in the form of ‘Fighting Forward’ from Hannah Brencher, a successful blogger, Ted talker and founder of ‘The World Needs More Love Letters’. Fighting Forward is the empowering anthem you need to take the next small step to a better life. With a heap of hope for those who long to move from anxiety and fear into action steps, the power-ballad essays in this book will encourage you to savour the milestones you've already reached, root yourself in the next small step, welcome healthy routines into your day, and apply grace like sunscreen in the process of your own becoming.
Third on the list is Milk Fed by Melissa Broder. Described as ‘A scathingly funny, wildly erotic, and fiercely imaginative story about food, sex, and god.’ That’s quite the trio. The main character is Rachel who obsesses over her food choices and works at an LA talent agency. She pedals her way through life literally and metaphorically until her therapist actively encourages her to take a substantial 90-day break from her own mother, the lady who raised who to obsess over calories the way she does. Rachel has lapsed in her Jewish faith and this new break forces her to reassess her priorities whilst entranced by a young Orthodox Jewish woman who works at the local frozen yoghurt shop. This dairy enchantress entices Rachel into more than just fro-yo. Perhaps that all sounds a little bizarre but Broder’s story explores how humans can compartmentalise instincts including love, desire, spirituality and more.
Last but not least is a brand new novel from actor/writer/director Ethan Hawke called ‘A Bright Ray of Darkness’. His first novel in over 20 years in fact! A Bright Ray of Darkness is a powerful story about a young man making his Broadway debut just as his marriage implodes. The book explores art, love, fame and heartbreak. The main character uses whiskey and sex to try and clumsily solves issues whilst tackling the challenge of performing in Henry V on stage, under the leadership of a brilliant director. Hawke himself has played several tormented characters so one wonders how much he has drawn on his own acting roles to create this powerful story.
Events: Online only!
Alas we can't meet up for big social events just yet but there are a whole host of extravaganzas taking place online these days to keep us all entertained. Here’s a few of our top choices:
Join the writer of the infamous Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood, for a virtual book club event on Thursday 11th February. You’ll need to have read Oryx and Cake, the first novel and a dystopian parable in her Maddaddam trilogy. Hearing first-hand from such an influential author about her creative process and having the chance to ask her questions live, will be a pretty incredible evening.
We can’t get to Paris so let’s let Paris come to us. ‘The Tour Guy’ are running various tours of the icon of Paris culture, The Louvre, throughout February. The 60-minute experience involves a guided virtual tour of the museum and a live Q&A as you explore The Mona Lisa and other incredible works that are on display here. If you've never been IRL then this is a must-do!
Are your kids budding ballerina’s? Because the San Diego Ballet are doing free online classes for kids every Saturday morning San Diego time which is 8 hours behind London so it would be a post playtime treat for the kids here around 5.45pm. Classes are for children aged 6- 11 and are for beginners and intermediate level dancers.
For those of you wanting to unleash some creativity (no prior skill required) how about a life drawing class with the Anti Diet Riot Club. As the name may suggest they are all about the body positivity and have found regular attendance to life drawing (and seeing different types of naked bodies) is proven to have a correlation with positive body image. Every 4th Wednesday of the month join them online with some paper and a pen/pencil/felt tip/chalk, whatever you have to hand and let your creative juices flow across the page.
Last up it’s time for TEDxLondonWomen on the 6th February, broadcasting from the Abbey Road studios. TEDxLondonWomen is about bringing together women, non-binary and genderqueer people who are speaking up, breaking out and pushing boundaries. Their 14 speakers and performers are showing up to face challenges head on and empower us all to shape a better future. Enjoy!
Watch: New TV Releases this Month
Kicking off with Netflix we have the release of Malcolm & Marie on 5th February starring Zendaya and John David Washington. This black and white film was filmed during the pandemic and tells the tale of a filmmaker and his girlfriend who return home from his movie premiere with smouldering tensions and painful revelations that push them towards a romantic reckoning.
All seven series of Parks and Recreations are released today and although not new this is the first time we can view all the series in one place. The hit comedy series that follows the ‘parks and recreation’ department of a local council stars huge comedy legends including Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, Chris Pratt and Amy Poehler.
Red Dot is a Swedish thriller out now on Netflix and we all know the Swedish do thrillers very well. Trying to rekindle their marriage and with a child on the way, a young couple on a ski trip suddenly finds themselves stalked by remorseless killers.
Over on Amazon Prime on the 5th is the release of Bliss, a strange sci-fi starring Owen Wilson as a divorced office drone who is told by a mysterious woman in a bar (Salma Hayek) that he is living in a simulation and that there are very few actually real people walking around. What follows is a strange adventure in which Wilson’s character is forced to question his entire life and confront the fact that the utopia he has always dreamed about might actually be the real world. Weeeird.
Lastly on the 19th, to Amazon Prime comes ‘I Care a Lot’. Rosamund Pike plays a con artist who makes her living by encouraging judges to appoint her the legal guardian of vulnerable, elderly people and then subsequently stealing their money. She meets her match when one of her victims turns out to have organised crime links. Of course. Happy viewing!
Theatre: Good Grief
From the 15th of the month, catch our Hotlister Sian Clifford and star of Artemis Fowl, Nikesh Patel as they star in Good Grief. A two-person hybrid play that was rehearsed solely on Zoom throughout lockdown, Good Grief is available to watch online so we can experience theatre at home. Tickets are priced at £15 and available to buy from Time Out here.
Good Grief is a comedy that follows two friends as they deal with the loss of a dear friend and work through the five stages of grief and every emotion that comes with it. “Irreverent and quintessentially British”, this performance is from director Lorien Haynes who is thrilled to be able to allow us to experience and support the theatres from our own front rooms. The production combines theatre and film bringing together teams from both to create this new theatrical format and most importantly boosting employment in the industry at a time that needs it most.
Podcast Power
Fancy yourself some aural pleasure do ya? Then you’re in the right place. If you have not yet checked out the second series of Louis Theroux’s thoroughly entertaining podcast ‘Grounded’ then there is no time like the present. Stuck in lockdown he has been interviewing some of the names he is most intrigued by for our delights and each episode is entertaining, thought provoking and always a giggle. Interviewees include Rylan Clark Neal, Ruby Wax and Riz Ahmed.
Menstrual Health Expert, acupuncturist and life coach, Maisie Hill is the fabulous author of ‘Period Power’, the cult, profound and practical blueprint for aligning daily life with your menstrual cycle. Now she has turned her expertise to a podcast and each week provides insights and strategies that will improve your cycle and take you from hormone hell to harmony. She’ll help you discover the power of your cycle so that you can use it to get what you want out of life.
Breeny Lee is a Love Coach, speaker and content creator whose Pepp Talk Podcast helps you with every situation you may face in your day to day life. Breeny is unfiltered in her advice and gives you powerful yet practical tips to become the most glorious version of yourself, from tips on knowing your value and adding tax to levelling up in your dating experiences.
Lastly, Ian Wright Wright Wright has recently launched his new podcast ‘Everyday People’ following him on a journey of discovery, searching for those positive role models that walk amongst us in everyday life. The real-life champions that come in all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life - this podcast captures him meeting and learning from these inspirational, everyday people.
Charity of the Month: Lady Garden 2021 Challenge
This month The Lady Garden Foundation are opening sign ups to their 2021 Challenge! There’s no doubt after close to a year of being cooped up indoors, shielding, locked down and wary of the world, we all need something to lift the spirits. So they are asking you all to sign up now to take part in the Challenge throughout the month of March to not only keep your mental and physical health strong but also to get you fundraising for the Foundation at the same time. The Lady Garden 2021 Challenge is simple - they are asking us to commit to a distance over the month of March and to get sponsorship along the way to help stop gynaecological cancers in their tracks. We can choose to complete a certain distance (50km for kids, 100km for adults or a minimum of 250km for a team of up to 6 people) and you can walk, crawl, run, swim, scoot, skate, or even hike your way to completing your distance. Via their event website you’ll be able to log your distances after each trip either manually or using Strava as well as keep a log of your fundraising efforts on a constantly updated leader board. At the start of Spring as the weather hopefully starts to improve, and when some have felt so cut off from a community, they want to bring everyone together for a brilliant cause . So sign up NOW and get stretching and fundraising and ready to go the distance!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
App of the Month: Happify
Happify is the single destination for effective, evidence-based solutions for better mental health. Whether you're feeling sad, anxious, or stressed, Happify brings you effective tools and programs to help you take control of your feelings and thoughts. Their techniques are developed by leading scientists and experts who've been studying evidence-based interventions in the fields of positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioural therapy for decades. All sounds very impressive but what does it entail? Their science-based activities and games can help reduce stress, overcome negative thoughts, and build greater resilience by providing effective tools and programs to improve emotional well-being. These games and activities can be played anytime and anywhere on your phone, computer or tablet. So, if you’re in a funk and are looking for something simple to help then give Happify a go.